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What’s behind Jake Owen’s “I Was Jack” music video

Well, as some of you know I love writing about music videos. The things you might miss the first time you watch, those are what I dive head first towards. So we come upon Jake Owen’s video for “I Was Jack (You Were Diane),” which is loaded with so much info, I was practically salivating as I thought about where to start researching! That is, until I got to the end of the video. Sneaky director Justin Clough made it easy for all of us to know a lot about the video, such as locations, starring actors, etc. So definitely check out the entire video, to the very end.

It’s a great piece of work from Mr. Clough, and just to get right to it, the stars of the video are Jake Etheridge and Mackenzie Porter.

Jake Etheridge is an actor and singer/songwriter who grew up in South Carolina but now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s part of a Holland-based country band called The Common Linnets. He’s also a heck of a cross country runner! Wait, hold on, OK never mind. That’s a totally different Jake Etheridge. You never know who might pop up on a Google search 🙂

Mackenzie Porter is a Canadian actress and singer. You may recognize her from The Netflix show The Travelers, but those who know her best… are cows… because she was raised on a cattle and bison ranch in Alberta! They remember when she was “just this tall” (cows raise their hoofs a few feet off the ground). Since then though, she’s become a classically trained violinist, a talented actress, and in 2003 because the younger sister of a Canadian Idol winner.

Something else I noticed in the video is the plethora of flyers on the entrance of the diner.

The Backseaters feature a lead singer named Jake. So that’s 3 Jake’s “appearing” in this music video. Coincidence? Conspiracy theorists disagree!

Hallway Kids might be a reference to Canadian TV show Kids in the Hall. So that’s another link to Canada there.

Finally, Necros is (or was) a real band in the 80s. So this must be a tribute to punk bands that school rebels might’ve listened to in the early and mid-80s.

Ruthie’s Inn can also be read on a flyer posted along with the others. Perhaps another reference to early 80s punk rock, because Ruthie’s Inn is a notable California venue for thrash metal bands in the 80s decade.

Last bit of trivia is the the pawn shop where the high school dude possibly buys an engagement ring. It reads “Pak Plaza Pawn and Sport Shop”. This is a real pawn shop in Hot Springs, Arkansas. No word on the ring and if it was ever sold for under a grand, though.

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